How to pronounce twilight
Say it like TWY-lyte. Twilight has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce twilight. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TWY
- lyte
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Twilight pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TWYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- lyteGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of twilight
American and British speakers say twilight in essentially the same way: /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/ in the US and /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: TWY-lyte.
What does twilight mean?
- the time of day immediately following sunset“he loved the twilight”“they finished before the fall of night”
- the diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth
- a condition of decline following successes“in the twilight of the empire”
- lighted by or as if by twilight“The dusky night rides down the sky/And ushers in the morn”“the twilight glow of the sky”
Where does twilight come from?
From Middle English twilight, twyelyghte, equivalent to twi- (“double, half-”) + light, literally ‘second light, half-light’.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with twilight
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of twilight.
Questions about saying twilight
How do you pronounce twilight?
Say TWY-lyte. The American pronunciation is /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/. In British English it is /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in twilight?
Twilight has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWY). Broken into parts: TWY · lyte.
Do Americans and Brits say twilight the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/ and the British form is /ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.